Building beef demand by inspiring, unifying and supporting an effective and coordinated state and national Checkoff partnership.
For more than 60 years, grassroots producer engagement has driven the demand for beef through the Federation of State Beef Councils. States voluntarily invest in the Federation to build beef demand by inspiring, unifying and supporting an effective and coordinated state and national Checkoff partnership. Ultimately, it is cattle producers from coast to coast who direct the Federation’ s work, and we celebrate their dedication. These are the“ Faces of the Federation.”
Jeri Moniz, Federation Director K K Ranch Inc., Paauilo, Hawaii
Located on the northeast side of the Big Island of Hawaii, Jeri Moniz, her husband, and her sons own and operate K K Ranch. The family manages 5,000 acres of state leased land and their cattle are finished on the mainland. What started 30 years ago as a way for Moniz to raise her kids away from the city and provide food for other families, has turned into a commitment to serve the industry. Moniz is the president of the Hawaii Beef Industry Council and serves on the Stakeholder Engagement Checkoff Committee.
How does the Federation of State Beef Councils impact the beef industry?
As state beef councils, we’ re stronger together. I appreciate the collaborative aspect and the ability to listen to different ideas from producers across the country. It’ s important to look at the big picture and be able to have a voice in how our industry is shaped. As a collective body we want to keep this industry viable. We want to keep it strong and healthy for our kids. The Federation helps keep our product in front of people so that we can keep being economically viable. What are some of the benefits of investing in the Federation?
As a state with smaller cattle numbers, the collective work the Federation does on behalf of all state beef councils is critical. We are able to work with other states to share funds and ideas to best connect with consumers.
For example, we were able to collaborate to produce a“ Voices of the Outdoors” video which highlighted Haleakala Ranch on Maui and surfer Ian Walsh. The video showed how ranchers steward the land and how that stewardship helps the health of the ocean. We were able to interact with the public, educate them about what we do and how it helps the environment.
In addition, because of that collaboration, we paid a fraction of the cost to produce a consumer-focused video. We were also able to produce additional videos highlighting different Hawaiian ranchers and local restaurants that feature beef. Those successful efforts would not have been possible without the Federation of State Beef Councils. Why do you think the Federation continues to be vital?
After 60 years, the Federation continues to be vital because demographics are always changing. The consumers and what they need are always changing. Having research and programs to help us connect with those consumers is really important. We rely on the state / national partnership to help us determine how to promote our product and our lifestyle so that consumers buy beef and keep us on our ranches. What is the most important message you’ d like to share about the Federation?
It’ s important for me to be able to keep ranchers where they’ re at. Ranchers face many pressures, but it’ s important for us to
stay on our ranches and keep doing what we’ re doing. We need to be able to feed people, so we need to keep our businesses viable and have opportunities for future generations. We produce an amazing product, and it’ s gratifying to know that our investment is being used to enhance our product and keep our industry viable for the future.
18 APRIL 2025 www. NCBA. org